Please excuse the cross posting.it will be the one and only time.
This is my situation:
In 1988, at the age of 5 my mother brought me over from Honduras, illegally and without inspection, across the Mexican border. I grew up in Houston TX and graduated from an American High School. Although, I still have my Honduran birth certificate I NEVER once returned to Honduras. Can you blame me? I consider Texas my home and don’t even REMEMBER Honduras.
In 1998 a Hurricane Mitch hit the coast of Honduras and because of that my mother and I were allowed to file for a TPS/EAD. This was a great relief to me because I could finally work, get a drivers license and attend college. I renewed every year and was free to earn my way in this world.
In 2000-2001 I found out that illegal immigrant living in the US would be unable to adjust their status through normal registration and would have to return to their country of birth to apply for a green card. I started to panic a little because at the time I was 17-18 and I knew that as long as the TPS/EAD was temporary I would be at risk of being sent back. So I prayed and hoped for the best.
I fell in love and married a US citizen in 2004. This year was the LAST year I filed for the TPS/EAD because I was TOLD that being married to a US citizen would guarantee me a green card.
When my husband and I were beginning the process I was told that the only way I could get a green card was if I went back to Honduras and started the process there. Unfortunately, I don’t have family in Honduras and hardly speak the language. I did some research and found out that even IF I do start the process and by some miracle of God I was able to find housing in Honduras, I could potentially be BARRED from the US for 10 years!
I am in a catch 22 until the laws change. Right now my status has gone from TPS to illegal and I have been unable to work since it expired in 2005. So these are my questions.
1.I’ve been here for 19 years, is it possible to be Naturalized? Where can I find Info on this procedure and how often do they allow Naturalization to happen? Through this process, does it matter if you entered illegally?
2. The Supplemental A form to 1-485 says that someone can file by paying a $1000 fine and having a Labor Certificate. Is my TPS/EAD considered a Labor Certificate? (This is the only loophole in the Green Card process that I can use)
3. Like I’ve said before, I let my TPS/EAD expire in 2005 due to bad advice and would like to know if there is a way I could file for the TPS/EAD again even though it expired over a year ago.
I want to thank you for your time and patience of which I’m sure is a rare commodity.
Sincerely,
G.Rivera

